


Of Words and Actions

by Faraday14



Category: Atypical (TV 2017)
Genre: Casey is a romantic for Izzie, F/F, First Date, Maybe Some Fluff Too, Tiny bit of Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:20:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24155746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faraday14/pseuds/Faraday14
Summary: Casey has worked up the courage to ask Izzie on their first official date. It doesn't start the way she wanted, but she isn't looking for easy.
Relationships: Casey Gardner & Izzie, Casey Gardner/Izzie
Comments: 3
Kudos: 102





	Of Words and Actions

The final bell had just rung and Casey didn’t know why she was so nervous. Okay, she did know, but she didn’t understand it. She had decided this morning today would be the day she asked Izzie to the movies, as a date. It was Friday, them spending the night together was implicit, but this was different. They were so good at talking around what they were. So good at letting touches and looks speak for them. Casey wanted more, she was ready to use her words. Maybe that was the root of her nerves. She so rarely used her words when they weren’t couched in sarcasm and flippancy. She didn’t want that for this conversation, she knew this was too important.

She blinks and she is at her locker, when did that happen? She turns and there is Izzie with her smile and her eyes and Casey almost forgets to use her words. Almost forgets that touches and kisses and looks can’t do everything.

“Everything alright there, Newton?” Izzie is squinting her eyes and Casey feels like she is being studied. She probably is.

“Yeah, I uh…I was wondering if uh, oof,” _rip the bandaid off Newton,_ “Do you want to go to a movie tonight?”

Casey watches as Izzie’s smile turns shy and she drops her head for a moment, “Like a date?”

“Yeah,” Casey practically breathes out.

“I’d love to,” they share the shy smiles this time before Izzie gives her a serious look, “No horror.”

“Well, then I may have to take back the offer,” She was serious for the important part, it’s okay to be teasing now she decides.

“Too late, I already accepted. I have to get home, but I can be at your place around six?”

“Perfect.” They share a kiss and Casey think that while words are useful they aren’t nearly as nice as this.

******

Elsa is looking in the fridge hoping for inspiration. She knew she should have gone to the store, but she really had not felt like it today. She is brought out of her self-scolding by the door slamming open and closed followed by hurried footsteps. She looks over to see Casey hesitating at the bottom of the stairs, which means her daughter had something on her mind but wouldn’t let herself talk about it. At least, not without a push.

“Hey Casey, everything okay?”

“Everything is fine, Elsa.”

It really does sting every time Casey calls her by her name. It usually happens when her daughter is upset with her, but sometimes Casey resorts to it when she gets too far in her own head. Elsa took the gamble this was one of those times, “Nothing happened at school today? You didn’t bop anymore shakes?”

That earns a light chuckle and Casey turning to face her. Elsa could see the words being weighed in her daughter’s mind. She waits, knowing the runner will bolt if she gets too uncomfortable. “Izzie and I are going to the movies tonight.”

It’s the forced casualness of the statement that tips Elsa off. She had suspected the break-up with Evan had more than a little something to do with the other track star. Casey had of course refused to talk about it, but Evan was gone and Izzie was so often there. She gives her daughter a gentle smile, “I take it that means you’d like the keys tonight. What movie are you seeing? What time is it? Is Izzie coming over for dinner?”

Casey makes that familiar annoyed face, “Jesus Elsa, interrogate much?”

“All of those questions were perfectly reasonable, stop being so dramatic,” Casey rolls her eyes and then mumbles out a name Elsa is positive is a rom-com. If she wasn’t still scared her daughter would run away if teased she would make a comment. Instead she moves on, “What time is it and should I set a place for Izzie?”

“7:30,” Casey’s cheeks start to turn pink, “And I was planning on taking her somewhere for dinner first, so you don’t have to set a place for me either.”

Elsa loses her internal battle, “You’re so cute when you’re nervous. Is your tummy okay?”

“I’m not nervous!” Casey refutes. Then she licks her lips and looks anywhere but at her mother, “What do you think I should wear?”

Elsa reigns herself back in to prevent herself from cooing at the question. Casey had never asked her questions like this with Evan. She wasn’t sure if it was due to her daughter’s feelings towards the boy or that their own relationship was in a better place now. Either way this was a moment she’d always wanted. “Do you care what Izzie wears tonight?”

Casey looks at her in utter confusion, but her voice is certain, “No.”

“So she probably won’t care what you wear either. Be comfortable, be yourself.”

She watches Casey take the words in. Watches her daughter become so shy as she responds, “But I…I want her to know this isn’t just any other movie night.”

“She knows,” Elsa reassures gently. And Elsa knows mother and daughter will need to have a talk soon. Open doors and sleepover policies will need to change, but she will wait. Right now she will let them keep talking around the changes in her daughter and Izzie’s relationship. At least until after the movie.

“Thanks mom. I’m gonna go shower and stuff.”

It is 5:30 when Casey comes down the stairs like a whirlwind. Elsa opens her mouth to tell her daughter how nice she looks in her khaki shorts and black polo but is cut-off by a frantic, “Keys.”

“Izzie’s going to be here soon, isn’t she?”

“Yes, which is why I have to hurry.”

“Okay,” Elsa moves from the stove to the table where her purse sits and hands the keys over. Casey acts like it’s a relay and takes off at a sprint. She wonders if she will ever fully understand her daughter.

About ten minutes pass and there is a knock at the door. Elsa shakes her head, of course her daughter is gone when her date shows up. Only it isn’t Izzie at the door, it’s an awkward looking Evan.

“Hey Mrs. Gardner. Dough said he’d introduce me to the night shift guys before my ride along with them tonight, but I don’t see his truck.”

“He should be home soon,” which she really hopes is true.

“Okay, um I guess I’ll wait,” he stands there for a moment and Elsa isn’t sure how to proceed. “Is Casey home?”

“No, she had to run out real quick,” he looks a little relieved at that. She feels for him, so before she overthinks it, she moves aside, “You want to wait in here? I could use some help figuring out what I am missing from my spaghetti sauce.”

He smiles gratefully and steps inside. She really hopes this doesn’t end badly, “Doug says you’ve been doing really well. That you show a lot of promise.”

“Really?” he beams. “I’ve been studying so much lately I feel like my brain is going to fall out.”

“Well it’s showing.”

They manage about fifteen minutes of small talk before another knock comes at the door. Elsa knows Evan sees her wince, but she acts like it didn’t happen. This time it is Izzie, looking shy in a simple red dress and for a second Elsa forgets about the awkward situation that’s about to unfold. “You look lovely, Izzie.”

“Thank you Mrs. Gardner.”

Elsa steels herself, “Casey decided she absolutely had to go do something before you got here, but she isn’t back yet.” She lets Izzie in and smiles at how nervous the young girl is.

“Casey and her impulse control,” Izzie says fondly.

Izzie and Evan seem to notice each other at the same time. They both stiffen and eye each other wearily. That answers Elsa’s question on if Evan knew about Casey and Izzie’s feelings for each other. Poor boy.

“Would you like anything to drink while you -”

The door flies open as Casey barrels through, clutching what looks like a bouquet of flowers, “Izzie I’m so sorry. I really thought I’d be back faster.”

Elsa watches Izzie’s face light up at the sight of her daughter. Watches the eyes widen when they land on the bouquet, “Did you buy me flowers?”

Casey walks over and holds them out awkwardly, “Yeah.”

Izzie takes them reverently and Elsa really wishes she had her phone to capture this moment. Until she remembers Evan. Her head snapping to look at the heartbroken boy must have finally drawn her daughter’s attention away from her date because Elsa hears the sad, “Evan?” and immediately all the tension in the room comes back.

“Hey Casey,” he says in a pained voice. Izzie looks down with obvious insecurity while Casey seems frozen.

“You girls should probably get going if you want to catch the movie.”

“Right,” Casey looks at Evan apologetically for a moment before all of her attention is back on Izzie. She walks the shorter girl out with a gentle hand on the small of her back.

When the door closes Elsa turns back to Evan. She watches him take deep breaths, most likely in an effort to calm himself. It doesn’t appear to be working. “Evan?” she says softly.

“She never did that with me,” he says a little brokenly.

“Never did what, sweetie?” she prods knowing he needs to let it out.

“Walked into a room and only had eyes for me. She told me that night they had kissed,” Elsa bites her tongue so as not to interrupt at that new piece of information, “but seeing that was somehow worse. Did I not do enough?” he looks to her for answers.

Elsa moves so she can wrap an arm around him, “Oh honey, that’s not it.”

“It just, it hurts and it’s so confusing. Like I should have seen this coming, but even if I had…”

“I know, give it some time.”

******

Izzie lets out a breath when they get outside. She worried about how the date would go if that was how it started. When Casey and Evan had been together Izzie thought of the boy regularly. Usually the thoughts were borne out of jealousy. Once the couple had split-up she only thought of him when it was clear Casey was. Now she couldn’t help but question how often the brunette thought about her ex.

She looks down at the flowers in her hand and some of her insecurities ease. They are standing on the porch still, Casey’s hand warm against her back, neither seeming to know how to move forward. A few more moments pass before Izzie feels the hand slide to her hip and Casey is standing in front of her, serious look on her face. Izzie braces for the worst.

Casey is looking deep in to her eyes when she speaks in a soft and sincere voice, “I’m where, and with who, I want to be.”

Izzie doesn’t know if she has ever been this happy.

******

Doug walks in with a confused look on his face. Elsa walks over and gives him a quick peck in greeting before asking what was wrong.

“It looked like Casey and Izzie were kissing as I was coming down the block.”

She is glad Evan had left to use the restroom, “They probably were.”

“When did that happen?”

Elsa honestly thinks before she answers, “Longer than I think they realize.”

**Author's Note:**

> I inexplicably just got around to watching Atypical. Pretty much as soon as I finished the image of Casey bringing Izzie flowers for their first date, because Casey is a hopeless romantic for Izze you can't change my mind, and Evan there to see it wouldn't leave my head. Hope you enjoy.


End file.
